Egg-carrier



(-No Model.)

H. E. AYLSW'ORTH,

I EGG CARRIER. y No. 365,721. -PathtedJuneZS, 1887.

N. PETERS, PhowLicha l-a hnr. Washinglon, D. c.

UNITED STATES HARRY n; AYLSWORTH,

PATENT W OFFICE.

OF ASHLAND, KANSAS.

EGG CARRIER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 365,721, dated June 28, 1887.

Application filed December 4,1886. Serial No. 220,682. (No model.)

.To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that l, HARRY ELMER AYLs- WORTH, of Ashland, in the county of Clark and State of Kansas, have invented anew and Improved EggGarrier, of which the following -is a specification, reference being had to the annexed drawings, forming a part thereof, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the body of my improved egg-carrienwith parts broken awayto show the internal construction. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the external casing of my improved egg-carrier, with a portion broken away to show the internal construction. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the perforated cell holding plate. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the egg-holding eells,and Fig. 5 is a side view of the metal sheet from which the egg-holding cell is formed.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

The object of my invention is'to provide an egg-carrier in which eggs of various sizes may be held in spring-supports, so that they will not be liable to breakage when the carrier is jarred or roughly handled; also, to provide means for ascertaining whether the carrier contains eggs without the necessity of removing the cover or any of the egg-holding trays, and, further, to provide means whereby the eggs may be refrigerated in transit and during storage, so that they may be more safely warranted.

My invention also consists in the construction of an egg-carrier whereby the parts of several cgg-earriers,when not in use, may be packed in a space only a little greater than that occupied by one for convenience of shipping and storing.

My invention consists in an external case provided with an apertured bottom and an inset apertnrcd cover and abottom plate fitted to the case and provided with spring-supports for the ends of the eggs, and with removable cells having spring-walls for containing and clamping the eggs with a slight springpressme.

It also consists in an arrangement whereby the bail is made to fasten the cover, and in the combination therewith of a device for locking the bail in the position of use, all as hereinafter more fully described.

The case A consists of a slightly-flared rectangular box, preferably formed of tin. or other sheet metal, having around its upper edge a wire, a, partly inelosed by the edge of the sheet metal and provided with an upwardly turned narrow loop, I), at one end of the case, and a wider upwardly-turned loop, a, at the opposite end of the case.

To the top of the case is fitted a cover, B, which is inset and provided with upwardlyturned edges (1, which inclose a'wire, e. The edged at one end of the case A is cut away and the wire a is offset to allow the loop I) to project above the upper edge of the cover B; and in a similar way the opposite edge of the cover is cut away and the wire 6 is offset to allow the elongated loop a to project above the cover, and to the edge d of the cover B, adjoin= ing the elongated loop 0, is pivoted a clasp, f, which is capable of shutting down over the loop 0 and covering the greater portion of its. length.

One end of the bail G, employed in carrying the case A, is hooked'into the loop I), and the opposite end is brought into engagement with the loop 0 while the clasp fis raised, and after being drawn toward the end of the loop opposite the clasp f the said clasp is closed down over the loop 0, thus holding the outlet" the bail in the end of the loop c'and at the center of the case A. The inner ends of the hooks on opposite ends of the bail 0 pro- .ject over the upwardly-turned edges of the cover B and hold it securely in its place in the case A.

The cover B and bottom D of the case A are provided with apertures g, the apertures of the case being directly opposite those of the bottom and occupying the same position relatively as the eggs contained by the case, so that by looking through the holes 9 of the case it may be known whether the case is filled or empty. These holes also serve to allow cool water poured into the recessed cover to flow downward over all the eggs contained in the carrier.

To the case A is fitted one or more plates, E, in each of which are formed four or more apertures, h, corresponding in size and position to the apertures g of the cover and bottom of the case, and from the apertures h radial slits extend, forming series of tongues ij, which IOU are bent alternately in opposite directions, the tongues 'i being bent upward, forming springs for the support of the eggs, and the tongues j being bent downward, so that they serve as cushions for the upper ends of the eggs of the next lower tier, or rest upon the bottom of the case A and form springs for the support of the plate E. At intermediate points between the apertures h are formed the zigzag slits k, and the right-angled points of metal Z, formed by the slits, are bent upward slightly above the face of the plate E.

The egg-holding cells F are formed of sheets of metal provided with ears m, projecting from one edge, as shown in Fig. 5. The metal sheets are curved into cylindrical form, with their edges approachingeach other,but not attached, and the ears m are bent inwardly, as shown in Fig. 4. The cells Fare secured in place upon the plate E by slipping the ears on underneath the angular points Z, projecting upward from theplate E. Itwill thus be seen that the cells have only two points of attachment to the plate E, and that they are free to spring open to accommodate themselves to the size of the egg to be carried by the cell. The cell exerts a sligh tv pressure upon the sides of theegg and holds it so as to prevent all sudden lateral shocks. The lower end of the egg contained by the cell rests upon the spring-tongue i, and the upper ends are protected by the springtongues j of the plate above. The eggs are thus prevented from being broken by endwise movement.

The egg-carrier is knocked down for shipment by removing all of the trays or plates but the lower one and disconnecting the egg-holding cells from the plates and springing them around the cells of the lower plate. The remaining plates are then placed upon the eggcells, and another carrier similarly knocked down is placed in the first, and so on.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an egg carrier, the case A, provided with the narrow loop I) and the wide loop cat the upper edge thereof, the inset cover 13, provided with. the clasp f, and the bail 0, having hooked ends adapted to engage the loops 1) a, substantially as described.

2. In an egg-carrier, the combination of the plate E, provided with the apertures h and spring-tongues 1' and the spring egg-holding cells 1*, substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the plate E, provided with the angular projections Z, of the egg-holding cells F, having the inwardly-pro jecting ears m, substantially as described,

4-. As an improved article of manufacture, an egg-carrier formed of the case A, having apertures 9, provided with the inset cover B, having aperturesg, the apertured plate E, provided with the tongues 13 j and angular projections Z, and the spring-cells F, having ears an, adapted to engage the angular projections Z of the plate E, substantially as described.

HARRY E. AYLSVVORTH.

Witnesses:

; JAMES M. MENDENHALL,

R0131. QMAR UIs. 

